I've recently saw "appliance" paint and it comes in fairly small containers, so you don't have to buy a gallon of it. Rust is oxidation, so to try and remove it will probably leave a "mark". Once you remove the rusty spot, which you "might" have to do if it's rough, or the area won't be smooth, you might benefit by painting the spot with the appliance repair paint.

If it's smooth already, you might even be able to paint right over the rust spot. I've never used this appliance paint, so I'm sorry I can't say if it works well or not.

I have a 15 year old Kenmore side-by-side refrigerator which I moved to the garage a couple of years ago when we got a new fridge for the kitchen. We live in Florida during the winter months and up north during the summer months.

When we go north, we empty and unplug the fridges. The one in the garage has come out with what looks like a rust stain covering most of the freezer door, and there is now some forming on the fridge door, but not as much.

I have tried cleaning the stain with an auto cleaner, some bleach and water, and some vinegar and water. The auto cleaner does the best job, but I can't quite get all the stain out, even with a lot of elbow grease. A couple of days later the stain is back as bad as ever. The finish is the pebbly kind where you don't leave fingerprints.

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The garage has no AC and it gets pretty hot in there in the summer, although there were no stains on the doors when we returned this fall (2013), at least not that we noticed. The stains have developed since we returned. Does this sound like rust? Any suggestions for a product to clean it and protect it? Thanks.

How do I remove a "rusty" looking stain/mark on the exterior of my refrigerator? It is over an area of approximately 6 inches by 2 inches and is made up of little spots and splotches. I have tried various over the counter cleaners, some help, but the stain comes back. Any suggestions?

Rust Spots on a Refrigerator

Rust Spots on a Refrigerator

If it looks like rust, it probably is, in which case, you can't remove it with cleaners. If it is a painted surface, you should be able to remove the rust and then paint over it with paint intended for this job. If it is a vinyl surface, I have no idea what to do, except put a picture over it that your kids have drawn. (04/07/2009)

Rust Spots on a Refrigerator

I had same problem. I used "Barkeepers Friend" to remove spots brown in colour. Not sure what they were, but they kept coming back. Finally when I removed them with the cleaner, I followed up by using a polishing product called Countertop Magic. It has been 2 months since I tried this and no more spots. Hope this helps. Cleaner was bought in USA, polisher in Canada. (04/08/2009)

My white refrigerator is rusting. It is coated with a textured plastic, something to make it not show finger prints and it is rusting through this coating. I tried to spray paint it with the new Rustoleoum product and now that is flaking off. The holidays are approaching and I do not have it in my budget to replace this until after. Is there anything that I can do to make it temporarily presentable, as I will be doing a lot of entertaining over the season?

Cyndi

Answers:

Rust Spots on a Refrigerator

Magnet sheets come in a size like a sheet of paper. Find them at a hobby store, or maybe a hardware store, where they are sold to cover unused furnace vents. Either use it plain (they're usually white) or decorate it with markers, paint, etc., or use smaller magnets to hold pictures or other paper items on it. The large sheet will disguise the bad spots better than smaller items with individual magnets would. (11/06/2008)

Rust Spots on a Refrigerator

Rust Spots on a Refrigerator

I have same type of coating on my refrigerator, designed to not let fingerprints, etc. show. Thought mine was rust. One day I spent lots of time cleaning it. Now I think was dirty water drying on and pooling up in the the crinkly spaces, so now I wash with diluted bleach water/soap, and rinse with clear water and dry immediately. Just went to look at it and it's not bad. Good luck. Hope it works. (11/09/2008)